What Was Once
by angel-flame
Summary: What if TJ and Gamble had taken Street hostage, instead of leaving him handcuffed to the steering wheel? RR, please! NOW COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

What Was Once . Summary: what if instead of leaving Street handcuffed to the car wheel, Gamble and TJ had taken him hostage? Author's note: I love SWAT; it's a great action thriller. This is just a "what if?" fanfic . I saw SWAT on a plane - several times - and had plenty of time to think about it! Excuse any mistakes in quotes I make from the movie; I don't have a perfect memory, and I was jetlagged when I saw it.  
  
Chapter One - Betrayal  
  
-- "Making the turn at Checkpoint Two." Hondo was nervous. He couldn't explain why, but he had goosebumps . he could sense it - something was wrong.  
  
"I have lost visuals of car two." These words over the radio confirmed Hondo's fears, and he nearly ordered Deke to turn the car round then and there. Instead he controlled his nerves, asked:  
  
"TJ, what's happening?" --  
  
Had Hondo known exactly what was happening, he probably would have ordered Deke to turn the car around immediately instead of giving TJ those few seconds more.  
  
* * *  
  
Street sat in the front seat, staring out the window ahead. He heard Hondo's voice come crackling over the radio: "Making the turn at checkpoint two." Hondo's car disappeared round the corner, and suddenly, their car came to an abrupt halt.  
  
"What the ." he murmured, before looking over and seeing TJ, or rather seeing the barrel of a gun. "TJ . TJ, man, what the hell are you doing?" He was in shock, trying to work out what was happening, why it was happening. Boxer, too, was in shock - but not for long.  
  
"What the hell's it look like I'm doing?" TJ responded, with a quiet arrogance that bit into Boxer, made him want to leap over the seat and strangle that little rat. "I'm taking Frenchie here up on his offer."  
  
"Get your hands up," said a voice from behind Street that he knew all too well. He turned his head slowly to face Gamble.  
  
Gamble smiled. "Hi, Jimmy-boy."  
  
"Gamble . what the hell -"  
  
Gamble poked the gun in his face. "Get those hands up. You too!" he added to Boxer. Jim obeyed slowly, hearing - but not seeing - the back car door open and Alex get out.  
  
A shot rang out, and he instinctively ducked, before realising that the shot hadn't been directed at him. --Oh God .-- he thought, with sick horror in the pit of his stomach. --Boxer .-- He tried to turn around but Gamble grabbed his arm. "Stay put," he growled.  
  
"What the -" TJ yelled, with real anger in his voice. "What the hell did you do that for?" he yelled at Gamble, as the man pulled open the back door, and Boxer's prone form fell onto the ground.  
  
"He was going for his piece," Gamble replied.  
  
"No he wasn't! You didn't have to shoot him!"  
  
TJ was actually angry, Street realised. He honestly hadn't wanted Boxer shot. He shook his head.  
  
"TJ - what's happening?" Hondo asked over the radio.  
  
TJ shot a look at Gamble, then replied: "I got a pedestrian, Hondo - I'll be with you in a few seconds."  
  
Jim yelled: "Officer down! Officer down! Hondo -" before Gamble cut him off with a vicious blow to his unprotected neck; Street fell on his face with a cry.  
  
-- Hondo punched the dashboard in anger. "Turn around! Turn around!" he ordered. Deke wasted no time in swinging the van around . --  
  
Gamble grabbed Street by his collar, and pulled him out of the car. "What -" Street began.  
  
"Shut up and move," Gamble ordered, holding a gun to Jim's head.  
  
Together with Alex and TJ, they ran down into the subway station .  
  
* * *  
  
No much of a cliffhanger . in fact hardly one at all!  
  
Anyway, please leave a review on your way out ( 


	2. Confessions

Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews! 
    
    Dolly: Thanks very much! 
    
    Kat: Thanks =) 
    
    WriterChick2391: SWAT was a great movie ... I didn't get sick of watching it on a 14hr flight ... tells you how much I loved it!! 
    
    Leann: What's gonna happen? You'll have to wait and see *evil laugh* Thanks. 
    
    Heather: It was just a random idea that occurred to me on the 3rd watching ... Thankyou! 
    
    Amora M: Thanks! Hope this chapter satisfies. 
    
    Katie: Thankyou too ... 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters – I make no profit from this (unfortunately :-p)! 

*          *          *

Chapter 2: Confessions 

Hondo was livid. Deke couldn't remember ever having seen him this angry. He had spun the car around and was tearing down the street back to Checkpoint two… hoping they weren't too late. Sanchez hung on for dear life in the back of the car, clutching the seat handle. 

********

TJ led the way down the stairs of the subway station, and Alex came after him, then Gamble and Street. Halfway down the stairs, Gamble stuck his foot in front of Jim's and pushed Street hard; Jim tripped and fell down the stairs, landing with a hard thud at the bottom. TJ half-turned, but then Gamble grabbed Street and pulled him to his feet, dragging him – stunned – along. 

There were people screaming – Street could dimly hear them – but he couldn't think properly – why would they be screaming? Then it hit him – he remembered. Gamble – Gamble and TJ – they were in it together; they were breaking Alex out. And he ... he was a hostage. 

Street hated that feeling. He had always hated feeling helpless, or having to rely on others. He hoped that Hondo would realise that he – Street – hadn't wanted to go with Gamble ... he also hoped that an escape opportunity would present itself really quickly. 

Street forced himself to snap out of his reverie. _You'll need to be alert, just in case_ he told himself. 

He found that they were entering a train; Gamble tripped him again and forced him to stay down. "TJ!" he called. "Check him for weapons." 

TJ nodded, and walked over. Gamble took his weight off Jim's back, allowing him to his knees while TJ carefully checked Street for weapons, removing any he could find. He then took a pair of handcuffs and forced Jim's hands behind his back, cuffing them together. 

Gamble walked away, but TJ stayed, watching Street intently. "TJ..." Street began. 

"Shut up," TJ ordered. 

"TJ, don't do this," Street said. Part of him refused to believe this was happening ... he couldn't believe it; he couldn't understand. How could TJ do this? How could he betray them all? 

"Look, Street, maybe you don't want for money – but I do, ok?" 

"So you broke out a criminal and betrayed your colleagues? Damn, TJ, isn't that taking it too far?" 

"How would you know?" TJ yelled suddenly, anger overcoming him as he jumped to his feet, and pulled Street up with him, slamming him against the wall. "How would you know what it's like to have no money, pretty boy? You don't have a damn clue about why I'm doing this..." He sat back down, and released Jim, who fell back to his knees. "You think I wanted to betray you guys?" TJ continued quietly. "Hell no. I never wanted it to come to this ... but beggars can't be choosers, Jimmy." He grinned. "Think they'll put me in the SWAT training book?" He put on a pompous accent: " 'And now, on page 57, how to deal with the traitorous group member...' " His voice died away. "Look Jim," he said, his face serious, "you play your cards right, and you'll get out of this with your life. Put a foot wrong and Gamble will shoot you down like a dog. You know he will." 

Jim looked up, impressed by the seriousness of TJ's tone – and the fact that despite everything, TJ apparently wanted Street to escape with his life. "Yeah," he replied. "I know." 

*          *          *          *          *

Deke slammed the brakes on as they drew up beside Car Two. Hondo leapt out and ran straight to Boxer; Sanchez followed. Deke ran to check the car. "They're gone," he yelled. "TJ, Alex ... Street!" 

Hondo looked up sharply at the mention of the last name. "Street's missing?" 

"Hostage or –" Deke stopped short of saying what he thought ... _he's betrayed us ..._

"No," Hondo said firmly. "You heard him – he tried to tell us what was happening – would he had done that if he'd betrayed us?" He shook his head. "You're barking up the wrong tree, Deke." He turned to Chris as she knelt by Boxer. "Sanchez?" 

"It's bad," she told him. "I've radioed for an ambulance. We need to get him to hospital real quick." 

Hondo nodded. "Ok." His ears pricked up as he heard sirens: _the ambulance_, he thought with a sigh of relief. "We're going after Gamble – you coming?" 

Chris took Boxer's hand for a second, and gave it a quick squeeze. "Yeah," she said, before leaning close to Boxer and whispering, "Don't you die on us, Boxer." She pulled back as she heard the ambulance draw up, and she followed Hondo and Deke into the subway. 

*          *          *          *          *

"If I could just break up this heart-to-heart," Gamble drawled, approaching Street and TJ, "it's time for us to go." He pulled Street to his feet and over towards the door. TJ and Alex followed. 

Jim noticed with a start that the train had stopped moving. "What the hell are you doing?" 

Gamble grinned. "Watch and learn, Jimmy-boy, watch and learn." He pulled the carriage doors open. "After you." He threw Street out of the carriage; with his hands cuffed behind his back he could not break his fall, and landed hard on the ground, winded and in pain. He groaned; his ribs felt like they were on fire, but he knew they weren't broken – broken ribs hurt a hell of a lot more. He heard Gamble and the others leap down, and then felt the familiar hand on his collar, jerking him to his feet. He stifled a cry as his bruised rib cage was forced into full extension. 

"Getting sluggish in your old age..." Gamble remarked with a laugh. "Don't train 'em like they used to, eh TJ?" 

"Let's keep moving," TJ said, ignoring Gamble. He pushed past them, down the tunnel. Gamble looked after him for a second, then released his hold on Street and walked after TJ. "Stay there," he called over his shoulder. 

Gamble grabbed TJ by the arm and pulled him around. "TJ, what's your problem?" he asked, innocently but with a venomous gleam in his eye. 

"Nothing," TJ replied, "apart from the fact that we are running behind schedule, and that the rest of his team will be coming after us." He nodded at Street. "So let's keep moving." 

Gamble nodded, understanding filling his eyes. "OK, TJ, if that's the way you want it," he said softly. "But if you let him escape ... I will shoot you then I will kill him." He gripped TJ's arm as he tried to pull away. "Understand?" 

TJ frowned, as if confused. "Yeah, I gotcha." 

Gamble stepped back. "Let's move!" he called. 

-- Street saw Gamble follow TJ, calling "Stay there" at Jim. Street – naturally – began to look around and assess his surroundings, estimate how far he could get before Gamble could get back. Suddenly he felt Alex's hand on his shoulder. 

"Run and die, my brother," Montel whispered. "You know how I treat my prisoners?" he continued. Street steeled himself as he felt a blade run down his neck. Alex laughed. "This is a present from your friend – Gamble. If you try to run ... you will wish that you had never been born." He flicked his wrist suddenly, and Street gasped, more from shock than pain, as he felt blood run down the back of his neck. 

"Let's move!" Gamble called. Alex released Street, but said as he did so, "Never forget that brother ... there's nowhere far enough away from me for you to hide." --

*          *          *          *          *          

Author's note 2: Well, here is chapter 2. Let me know what you think of the direction the story is taking ... any general comments also much appreciated! 


	3. Through the Underground

Author's note: *blushes* Thanks for all the reviews ... 
    
    Leann: oh yeah ... poor Street; stuck with two sick psycopaths ... *gives him a hug* ... and he's at the mercy of this writer too *evil grin* Thanks 
    
    IceDragon3: Thanks so much ... :) *is chuffed* (I love your name, btw – where's it from?) 
    
    Kat: 'What if's' are the best kind of story ... I'm glad you like this one! 
    
    Katie: Thanks :) ... it means a lot, to have people say that about my writing. 
    
    Captain Vocke: :) And here is more! Hope you enjoy ... 
    
    Fun Fish: Thanks – I'll try not to; we're about to get to the next stage ... probably late this chapter, or early in the next. 
    
    Dolly: :) Here's the next update ... 
    
    Capt. Cow: Glad you're enjoying it … hope this chapter satisfies. 
    
    Kathy: Here it is! :-) Thanks! 
    
    Laura Mulway: interesting in a good way, I hope? :-p Thanks for reviewing

A/N – Oh yeah, there is quite a bit of violence in this chapter – you have been warned. :-p Personally, I don't particularly like this chapter ... but I've had major writer's block, and this was the best I could do. Let me know what you think. 

*          *          *          *          *

Chapter 3: Through the Underground 

Hondo stared down the train tracks. "Where the hell did they go?" he exclaimed angrily. The passengers on the train had told them that four men – two fully armed, one in prison uniform, and one who appeared to be a prisoner – had stopped the train and got off, running back down the track. "Spread out," he called to Sanchez and Deke. "Deke, you take the left, Sanchez, take the right." 

"What are we looking for?" Deke asked. 

"A door, a corridor, anything they could escape down ... not too far down, else we would have run into them." 

Sanchez found an opening first – it was narrow, barely large enough for her to squeeze through, let alone Hondo, who gazed at it incredulously. 

"Ladies first," he said ironically; Sanchez grinned. 

"Thanks Hondo." She began to try to reach into the opening, feeling the surface and trying to gauge whether it widened or got even more narrow. Deke, standing on the other side of the tracks, was nervous – a horrible idea was starting to occur to him. _It's far too narrow for Street or TJ to fit through_, he thought, _which means ... _

"Chris," he said slowly, eyes widening in horror, "Chris step away from that opening right now." 

"What?" she said, turning to face him. "Deke – what's wrong?" 

As she turned, her hand hit a small black box that had been attached to the wall ... a red light was flashing, faster and faster ... 

* * *

An explosion rocked the tunnels, throwing Gamble and the others off balance. "What the hell was that?" Street yelled, turning to stare back down the tunnel. 

Gamble merely grinned. "Didn't their mothers ever teach them not to reach into dark holes when they couldn't see what was in there?" he said, watching Street with the eyes of one who knows that with every word he is striking a mental blow with far more effect than physical pain. Street turned his head away, wide-eyed, struggling to think properly, to comprehend. _Oh Jesus_, he thought, _oh God they're dead. _The look in his eyes changed slowly; anger building inside him. He looked up, and saw Gamble's arrogant eyes staring into his face. He only dimly noticed TJ walking a little way back down the tunnel; his whole being was centred on Gamble, and his mind made up: _revenge._

With a cry of rage and pain, Street lashed out with his foot, striking Gamble square on the chest, knocking him backwards into the wall. He felt Alex grab at him, but he struck out again, sending the Frenchman to the ground. Montel grabbed his ankle and tripped him; Street shoved himself backwards, at the same time slipping his bound wrists under his legs so that they were in front of him. 

Gamble – groaning – was starting to get to his feet; Jim lashed out at his head, and caught him a glancing blow across his cheek, and Gamble went down again. 

Street grabbed Gamble, pulling him up and slamming him against the wall of the tunnel. He lashed out, taking out all the anger he had felt about Gamble out in this moment, punching him until TJ grabbed him from behind and threw him into the ground. 

Street's rush of emotion came to an abrupt end as he stared down the barrel of TJ's gun. "Don't move," TJ told him. He glanced over towards Gamble, who was slowly pulling himself to his feet, blood dribbling down his face from a cut across his forehead. Montel too rose to his feet, glaring malevolently at Street. 

"I am going to make you pay for that, you son of a bitch," Gamble said, his voice rising to a yell as he slammed his heel into Street's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Street coughed, gasping for breath as Gamble struck him again. 

_Nice one, Street_, he told himself, as Montel too approached. _Now you're about to get beaten up by two psycho bastards with anger management problems. Full marks for conflict management._ Still, he didn't regret it – Gamble had killed his colleagues – his friends. Street knew he could not have let him get away without being in some way punished.  

TJ grabbed Gamble's arm, hissing "Wait!" 

Gamble turned to face him, anger in his eyes. "What?" 

TJ leaned forward and whispered something in Gamble's ear; while they were both occupied, Montel came up from behind Street and grabbed him by the throat, his eyes glittering dangerously; but Gamble forestalled him. "Come on," he ordered. "Let's keep moving." 

Street followed – his breath still coming in ragged gasps – but his mind reeling. _Gamble's pretty keen to keep moving ... maybe ... maybe they _aren't_ dead afterall ... _he thought, allowing himself to have boosted hopes for a second, before dragging his mind back to his situation. _I'm unarmed, handcuffed, and trapped with three well armed and fit men, two of which happen to be psychopathic, and one of them holds a major grudge against me, _Street thought with a wry grin as he realised exactly how much trouble he was in. _OK – first thing to do – GET OUT OF HERE._ he thought. 

His body protested at the thought; Street's chest was badly bruised, and breathing was difficult. Street forced himself to think rationally – _I won't get far if I run, and I can't exactly fight them ... what I need is a diversion. _'Like your teammates were supposed to be?' part of his mind enquired sarcastically. 

* * *

Street realised with a start that they were coming to the end of the tunnels; he gave vent to a tiny sigh of relief. He hated the feeling of claustrophobia that being underground for long periods of time invariably invoked. 

Gamble lead him out of the tunnels, and gestured towards the four-wheel drive waiting about thirty metres away from the tunnels. TJ moved off towards it, pulling Street with him; Alex followed a few metres behind. 

"Nice one, Jim," TJ remarked drily. 

Jim snapped. "That maniac just tried to blow up my friends!" he exclaimed. "What am I supposed to do, pat him on the back and say 'Thanks'?" 

"Keep your voice down," TJ told him levelly. 

"Why?" 

"Because there may be other people around, and we don't want the party starting early, do we?" Gamble said, coming up behind them. He pushed Street forward. "Move." 

* * *

AN : let me know what you think ... thanks :-) 


	4. An Unusual Airport

Author's note: Apologies for the length of time taken to update … someone I know is very sick at the moment, and I've been a little distracted.

Anyway, now they are out of the tunnels and we are getting towards the business end of the fic … not that its over by any stretch.

Sarah: Thanks! Here's the next update …

Wolf maid: Jim had better watch his back … yeah he's in lotsa trouble in this fic!! Thanks for reviewing; hope you like the update!

Kat: Thankyou!! … gives Street a hug … one of the best things about writing is putting the characters through hell and then patching them back up or letting 'em go … ;-)

Capt Cow: Here is more!! :-)

Lelann37: I wasn't very happy with the last chapter … hopefully this one is better. The last was more aimed at keeping the story going … :-) Thanks for reviewing!

Bsktballchick: I don't know how far I will take it … I'll definitely get to the end of the movie and then see what happens from there, especially as regards couples … ;-)

Dolly: Ahhhh cliffhangers … what happened to Hondo and the others will be revealed in this chapter … but not fully evil laugh I'm keeping that card up my sleeve …

Havingfun: Thanks :-) I'm writing as quickly as is possible at the moment …

Katie: By the party/other people … well … the other people referred to Hondo etc. and the party … well Gamble has a few nasty surprises up his sleeve! As for Jim … he's gotta learn when to shuttup and sit back, doesn't he?! … Thanks for reviewing!

Laura Mulway: interesting in a good way? I can deal with that ;-) Thanks!

Chapter 4: An Unusual Airstrip

Hondo groaned, and tried to get up. His back felt like it was on fire, and he couldn't move his legs. "Hondo!" he heard Deke calling. "You there?"

"Wish I wasn't," Hondo called back. Deke let out a short laugh; but it died away as he saw Hondo's predicament.

Hondo was lying on the ground. His back was bleeding from shrapnel wounds, as were his arms, but they were not the biggest problem – Hondo's legs were trapped under a large rock. "Oh shit …" he whispered.

"What's the situation, Deke? Where's Sanchez?" Hondo asked.

Deke hesitated. "I don't know. There was a huge blast; I hit the ground and now I can't see her."

Hondo forced himself not to think of what this might mean. "Can you get me out?"

"I can try," Deke said, gazing nervously at the rubble covering Hondo. "But you'll have to help me. Can you feel your legs?"

"Yeah – just."

"OK – when I say, I need you to kick up as hard as you can, get it? And then get out from under it," Deke said. He didn't think this would actually work … but it was the only thing to do; only option he had left. He crouched by the rock, testing it with his hands and trying to get a good grip on it. "OK … now," he yelled, lifting with all his might. Hondo kicked upwards, giving Deke a little more strength, then pulled his legs out from under the rock. Deke let it fall back to the ground. He lent against it, panting heavily.

Hondo felt his legs carefully, wincing. _They don't feel broken_, he thought. Deke gave him a hand, and he got experimentally to his feet, wincing as pins and needles set in. "Sit down," Deke told him, and Hondo slumped gratefully back onto the rock. "You've been lucky; they aren't broken," Deke told him, skaing his head. "You are that damn lucky …" He turned away, and began looking through the rubble, calling "Sanchez?"

Hondo looked around at the devestation, and his heart sank. A section of wall about eight metres long had been blown out by the explosion – a bobby trap left by Gamble, he assumed – and Hondo had been saved because he stepped away from the opening the moment Deke had realised what was happening … but Sanchez had not been that quick …

Groaning, he got up to help Deke look, even as he heard a shout from Deke: "I see her!"

Deke fell to his knees beside Sanchez, pushing debris off her. She was unconsious, and blood trickled freely down her face from her injuries. However, as Deke continued to scrap rubble off her, he noticed – with sick horror in the pit of his stomach – the terrible wounds on her arm, the arm that had been reaching inside the opening. The skin was broken and blood covered nearly all of her arm; the cuts were deep and it looked as though she had lost a lot of blood. Deke ripped part of his uniform, and wrapped it tightly around her arm, trying to stem some of the bleeding.

Hondo reached his side. "Well?"

"It's bad," Deke said. "She's gonna bleed to death unless we get her to a hospital soon. And then …"

Hondo nodded. He understood exactly what Deke meant. _I hope she remembers her little girl …_ Hondo thought, _cos that's the only thing that will give her the strength to fight._ He remembered Sanchez's comment earlier that night, when he had reminded her to keep a sharp eye out for possible attackers: _"Hands out, no guns, and I'm going home to my little girl." __Well, Sanchez_, Hondo thought, _we're gonna get you home to your little girl, no matter what. _ Jim sat in the back seat of the four-wheel-drive, waiting for Gamble, TJ, and Alex to get in. He saw them look back towards the tunnels, and glanced surreptiously towards the door. If he could just get out of the car, maybe … His hopes were dashed as Gamble got into the car, followed by TJ and Alex. The latter still regarded Street with a look of malevolence and anger; Street didn't like his chances if he was left alone with Montel. "Bet your wondering where we're headed next, eh, Jimmy-boy?" Gamble said, a mocking gleam in his eye. Jim tried to think of a smart-arse reply, but failed. He stayed silent, and Gamble laughed. "We're going to an airstrip …" Gamble said. "A very unusual airstrip …" He fell silent, staring ahead at the black nothingness. Jim shivered; he tried to work out what Gamble was talking about. _Of course he'll want a plane to get out of here … but what the hell did he mean "unusual airstrip" … I really do _not_ like the sound of that … _ "Get out," Gamble ordered as he stopped the car at one end of the 6th Street Bridge. Street got out, staring around and wondering what the hell was going on. Gamble glanced at his watch, muttering "Where _are_ they?" TJ walked over to him. "What are you planning?" "Our ride is on it's way …" Gamble said with a wink. "The police have been safely diverted to various airports …" TJ nodded. "Then we'll be out soon?" "Yeah. In an hour or so we'll be home free. And as for my old friend …" he said, staring malevolently at Jim. TJ realised what Gamble was heading towards, and forestalled him. "Brian, don't kill him." "Why not?" Gamble asked. "Got a soft spot for him, have you?" "Just don't kill him …" Gamble shrugged. "Fine. Once we're safely away, I'll let him go." TJ nodded. "Thanks." Gamble looked up suddenly, and laughed. "Our ride is here!" He pointed up into the sky; Street noticed, and looked up. His eyes widened as he saw a plane, flying low over the city. _Oh jesus,_ he thought, _what the hell – _Realisation dawned. Jim sighed, shaking his head. _You have to hand it to Brian Gamble_, he thought wryly. _This is one hell of an "unusual" airstrip_. 

Hondo held Sanchez's hand as the ambulance officiers wheeled her away. Her arm had been bandaged up, but the paramedics had looked concerned when they saw it … Hondo had seen them whispering together, and had caught one word out of their conversation – _"amputation"_. Hondo hoped fervently that this would not be the case … not only could he not afford to loose another member of SWAT, but it would devestate Chris, and … how would she support her little girl? "Hold on, Sanchez," he said, as she was lifted – still unconscious – into the ambulance. "Hold on Chris … your daughter needs you." He turned away, to where Deke was waiting nearby. "Let's go catch that son of a bitch!" he ordered, and they jumped back into the car. 

Author's note: There it is … chapter 4. Let me know what you think of this one … :-) If the next update takes a while, it's not that I've abandonned the story, it's just that I have a few other things on my mind … 


	5. Race Against Time

Author's note: Thanks :-) For your information, we think – hope – that she is past the worst of it. Hopefully she'll be better soon. Of course, we don't know for sure.

My memory of this bit it extremely dodgy – so please forgive any major mistakes. For the life of me I cannot remember the names of Gamble's henchmen (or if they even had any), so I've made them up. I don't have access to a copy of the movie yet, unfortunately. I got a friend who is an expert in everything-planes to help me, so blame any mistakes on her ;-) :-)

Thanks again for the reviews!

Bsktballchik – Thanks :-) Glad you liked it …

Shebang – You'll have to wait to see what happens to Sanchez … she' doesn't get a look in this chapter! But thanks for reviewing

Sarah - :-) She's getting better! Thanks

Aur – I think so … ;-)

Katie – Yup, Jim is one impetuous man sometimes! Thankyou :-)

Cap. Cow – Sorry about the wait! Hope it's worth it …

Animelover52843 – Glad you like it!

Wolfmaid – Thankyou very much :-) Means a lot …

Kat – Hope you like this one … :-)

Ice Dragon3 – I love it when the bad guys win … as for Gamble – I haven't decided ;-) He is pretty cool! Yes, I do really love your name!

Kagii – Gamble's pretty cool … glad you like the story! Thanks :-)

Thunderjam – Thankyou …. Sorry about the wait!

Flame guardian – Yeah, sorry about the technical stuff-ups … I'm still working out how works! Thanks for the encouragement …

John Allerdyce – I'm glad :-) Just wondering, are you an Xmen fan? I love the Xmen …

Faile1 – Thanks a lot! Here's the update …

Lyn – Thanks for reviewing! Here's an update …

JC6 – I'm updating as fast as I can! Glad you like it …

Chapter 5: Race Against Time 

Street stared in a mixture of horror and admiration as the plane landed on the bridge, brakes squealing as it ground to a halt only metres from where he stood by the car with TJ, Gamble, and Alex. He could vaguely hear screaming from inside the plane.

Gamble moved towards the side door even as it was thrown open. He nodded briefly to the man who opened the door.

"Brian – I presume it all went to plan?" the man asked.

"Perfectly," Gamble replied with a smile. "I've even brought along an old – friend for the ride."

Street stared at the man, trying to remember his name. _I know I've seen him someone. Could it be …_ Suddenly he remembered where he had seen the man – of course – _when I went out with Chris that night_. What had been his name? _Sam … ? Sam Johnson? _It sounded right, he decided.

Sam stepped down from the doorway with a grin. "You're a sentimental man, Brian," he said with a laugh. "As it happens, we brought two new friends along for the ride. Rick!" he called back into the plane. "Get 'em out!"

There was a moment's silence, before unmistakeable sounds of protest and confusion, and then two people appeared at the door of the plane; a man and a woman, both well-dressed, and both appearing confused and upset. "Go on, get out," growled Rick. "Unless of course, you'd like to come with us …"

Gamble laughed as the couple quickly left the plane. TJ shoved them over towards the edge of the bridge. "I'd suggest," he said quietly, "that you get out of here. Now."

Street heard the couple move away from the plane – the woman sobbing – as TJ led him over to the door. Alex and Sam had already got into the plane, but Gamble waited by the door for Street and TJ.

"Let's go," he said, pushing Street up into the plane.

Hondo slammed his fist into the dashboard in frustration. "What the hell are they playing at?" he growled. "Where are they going?"

"They wouldn't go to an airport …" Deke mused. "TJ would know not to go there – too many cops."

He reached out to turn on the air conditioning, but hit the radio by mistake. "Damn," he muttered, reaching back to turn it off. Suddenly, he froze. "Hondo …"

"And in breaking news, we have unconfirmed reports of a light plane landing on 6th Avenue Bridge …"

Deke looked over at Hondo. "It's them," Hondo growled. "Go! Quick!" He reached for the radio to call for back-up.

Deke slammed his foot on the accelerator …

Jim sat down in the cabin of the plane, trying to ignore the gut feeling he was getting that told him – _this is _not_ going to end well for you_. TJ and Gamble were still outside the plane; Street could see them talking. TJ appeared to be angry, while Gamble was placating him. Street wished he could hear what they were saying. He tried to edge closer to the door, but Sam noticed, and clamped a hand down on his shoulder by way of warning.

The conversation ended a few seconds later. TJ apparently lost whatever argument he was trying to impress on Brian, as he entered the plane looking angry and disappointed. Gamble, on the other hand, entered with a slight smirk on his face, that grew wider into a grin when he looked at Street.

"Gentlemen," he said with a grin, "let's go."

Hondo stared out the window as they approached the bridge, and there was the plane, sitting at one end of the bridge, and apparently preparing to take off.

"Shit," he exclaimed, "if that plane takes off …"

Without a word, Deke turned the car onto the bridge, and accelerated towards the plane. "It's not going to take off, sir," he yelled, "if you shoot the wheels out NOW!"

Hondo lent out the window, gun in hand …

Rick let out a loud curse as he saw the car coming down the bridge towards them. "Better hold onto something," he yelled over his shoulder, "we've got company."

Street smiled inwardly. _There's still a chance_ … He braced himself for the impact …

"Got it!" Hondo yelled triumphantly. Deke nodded, trying to keep his eyes on the burning plane now careening toward them, and to get the car out of its way. He swerved to one side of the bridge just as the plane – wings on fire – smashed into a girder on the opposite side.

Hondo and Deke jumped out of the car. "Take cover!" Hondo yelled, and they both crouched behind doors of the car.

Hondo watched as the plane door opened and he trained his gun on it.

"Hold your fire!" yelled a voice from inside the plane, "unless of course you want this pretty boy to get it?"

Hondo nodded to Deke to relax his hold a little. They watched – concerned – as a handcuffed and bruised Street appeared in the door way of the plane. Sam Johnson got out immediately after him, and had a rifle held at Street's neck.

Gamble and Alex got out after them. Gamble grinned at Hondo. "Now then, Lieutenant," he growled. "I want a plane … and you'd better make it fast. First move either of you make to shoot one of us and this boy –" he punched Street on his bruised ribs, making him bend double in pain before being dragged upright by Johnson and held "– gets an extra hole in his head – understand?"

"Yeah," Hondo replied, angrily.

"Make the call, then," Gamble said with a smile … an arrogant smile that said clearly 'Gamble 1, Police 0'.

Street had removed himself from the conversation after the brutal blow to his ribs, but now dragged himself back to full awareness. He had to stop this before Gamble got away. He thought desperately, running through several different scenarios … all of which seemed to end up with him lying dead on the ground. _Not good, not good,_ he thought, trying to suppress the panic that threatened to overwhelme him. He gritted his teeth and made a decision. He would not let Gamble get away with Montel. He would stop them – even at the cost of his life.

He steeled himself, and began to put his plan into motion …

Author's note: There you go! I don't update for weeks and then I leave you with a cliffie! I will hopefully update within a few days, as I am now on holidays.

Review please!


	6. Can't Save 'Em All

Author's Note: Well, I told you I wouldn't make you wait long! Here we go, chapter 6. Let me see, what trouble can Jim get himself into this chapter … ;-) :-) 

*******************

Chapter 6: Can't Save Them All …  

Jim watched as Hondo turned his cell phone on – he couldn't let this happen. He flexed his muscles slightly, feeling for any reaction from his captor, but there was none. _So far, so good,_ he thought, _now … _

The plane had been badly damaged by the crash landing caused by Hondo's actions. Street knew that any second now the plane was going to explode. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the flames lick closer and closer to a small pool of fuel that had escaped the fuel tanks. _Come on, come on,_ he thought impatiently, glancing back at Hondo, who was ever closer to complying with Gamble's demands. 

An explosion rocked the bridge as the flames reached the fuel. With a cry, Street struck out backwards hard, striking the distracted Johnson hard in the gut. He doubled over in pain, and Street relieved him of the rifle, and was halfway across the bridge before Gamble and the others had time to react. Deke grabbed his gun and gave Street covering fire, forcing Gamble and Alex back behind the plane. 

Jim dived behind the car. 

"Street!" Hondo yelled. "You OK?" 

"Never better," Jim replied with a grin. "Few cuts and bruises, nothing major," he added as Hondo shot him a glare. He decided not to add the part about his bruised ribs and the fact that he was having difficulty breathing. 

Deke fired again as a head appeared at the plane door. He cursed as he missed, but remained on the alert. 

"They can't stay there forever," Street yelled. "It's going to blow, and soon. The fuel tank's damaged," he added, by way of explanation. "It's a miracle it hasn't gone already. They have to know that." 

He looked up suddenly as Rick charged out of the plane, trying to get behind it. Hondo brought him down with a bullet in his head. TJ – seeing the fate of Rick – did not leave the plane. 

"There he goes!" Hondo yelled, pointing at Montel as the Frenchman ran from the plane, flames licking up the wings. Gamble followed a few metres after. "Go! Go!" Hondo yelled. Deke broke cover, running after Montel. With a cry, he leapt at the wanted man and tackled him to the ground. 

Montel struggled, but Deke held a gun to his head. "Give me a reason, you son of a bitch, and I swear I'll do it," he growled, pressing the barrel of the gun into the Frenchman's temple. Montel went limp. He knew it was over. 

Gamble had disappeared off the edge of the bridge, but Street and Hondo approached the plane. 

TJ was crouched inside the cabin of the plane, his face pale, and blood leaking from a gunshot wound to his chest. "I reckon," he whispered as Gamble and Hondo appeared in the doorway, "that you win." He reached into his pocket, and Hondo raised the gun threateningly. TJ grinned. "Ah now, Lieutenant," he hissed, "no tricks, I promise." 

He pulled out the handcuff keys, and tossed them to Street. Hondo grabbed the keys and unlocked the handcuffs. 

"Go get him, cowboy," TJ said with a laugh. "Give him my best." 

Hondo nodded. Street pulled back from the doorway, balancing the rifle in his hands, before heading towards the section of bridge where he had last seen Gamble. 

Hondo remained behind holding a gun on TJ. The cop-turned-criminal let out a gasp of pain as he forced himself to sit back against the seat. "Bullet," he explained to Hondo. "Reckon one of you boys must have got me." He tried to steady his breathing. "So … what happens now, _sir_?" he added, with a touch of insolence. 

Hondo realised that he would need an ambulance. His gaze fell to the gun clasped in TJ's hand. It rested on the ground, as if it was too heavy for him to lift. 

"TJ – let go of the gun. Now." 

TJ looked down, a little surprised to find the weapon in his grasp. "You know what, _sir_," he said slowly, "I don't think I can obey that order." 

The fire was creeping ever closer to the cabin. Hondo was getting nervous. 

"TJ, what …" 

"Reckon this is the only way," TJ rasped out, his voice weakening. Drawing on hidden reserves of strength, he slowly raised the gun. For a second, Hondo feared that TJ was aiming for him, but then he realised what the man was intending to do. He made to move forward, to take the gun, but TJ forestalled him. 

"No," he said. "You don't want me alive. SWAT doesn't need me alive." He raised the gun to his head. "Sorry, Hondo. Guess you can't save 'em all." 

Hondo turned his face away. 

*******************

Chris Sanchez lay in a drug-induced sleep, oblivious to the events transpiring on 6th Street Bridge, oblivious to the doctors conferring outside her room. She had no idea that one of her former teammates was dead, that another lay fighting for his life just down the hallway from her. 

It was easy to hide in oblivion. Hide from the pain she would face when she woke. 

But something was calling to her, forcing her to wake. Something wouldn't let her sleep. 

Slowly, she rose to consciousness … 

*******************

Author's Note: A relatively short chapter this time, but I felt that TJ's death deserved it's own chapter. I'll have the next chapter up in a day or two; it will feature Street vs Gamble!! 

Review! Please! 


	7. What Was Once

Author's Note: Here it is, chapter 7! A HUGE thankyou to all my reviewers for all your encouragement and kind words! I'm having a great time writing this fic, and I'm glad that other people are enjoying reading it! I'm currently working on a kind of movie-sequel … which will of course be based on the ending of What Was Once, not the movie ending ;-) … hopefully I will get the first chapter up a week or so after this one finishes … I'm still working through the basics of it! 

There should be about 2-3 more chapters of this fic … stay tuned! The rating's gone up for this chapter – Gamble is just a *little* bit nasty! 

Shout-outs: 

Flame guardian: Thankyou :-) Hope you like it … 

Leann: Here's an update!!! 

Sarah: Hope this one satisfies – glad you liked the last one 

Emma: Hopefully that will happen … I have to decide whether in this fic or the next ;-) 

Kat: Hope this one didn't take too long … :-) 

Wolf maid: Thanks :-) Hope I didn't take too long … are you still on the seat? :p 

Bsktballchik: yeah … I thought it was important enough! Thanks!! 

Katie: Oh, he's still trying ;-) I didn't much like the movie ending either … so expect some surprises ;-) maybe not in this chapter, but certainly in the next! Thanks for reviewing! 

******************************

Chapter 7 : What Was Once … 

Street charged towards the section of bridge where he had last seen Gamble. He barely heard the gunshot from the cabin of the plane as he reached the edge, looking around almost frantically, trying to locate Gamble. His eyes fell on a rope tied around one of the railings; he leaned over the side, straining his eyes against the darkness, searching for any signs of Gamble. 

_There_, he thought, dimly making out the shape of a man, climbing down the rope, almost at the bottom. Abandonning subtlety in favour of speed, he began climbing quickly down the rope towards his quarry. 

He reached the bottom and began staring about him into the darkness, searching for movement. He heard a noise behind and whirled around too late, as Gamble leapt and pushed him against a nearby building. In a quick movement he stabbed a knife through Street's left hand, pinning him to the wall. Jim yelled in pain and shock. 

Gamble patted him on the shoulder. "You're like a bad smell, you know … just can't get rid of you!" he exclaimed, then twisted the knife. He was gratified by the scream of pain this forced from Street's lips. "Well … maybe I've found a way," he finished with a smile. "Don't be a stranger, Jimbo," he whispered. " I do so _hate_ it when you aren't around," he finished sarcastically. He gave the knife one last twist, then ran off. 

Street leant against the wall, gasping and trying to quell the mounting waves of panic and pain that threatened to send him into unconsiousness, while trying to keep his left hand as still as possible. He looked around desperately, but could see no person save the fast retreating figure of Gamble. Blood was running freely down his forearm now. He realised with sick certainty that he had to get the knife out. No one was coming to help him. He had to do this on his own … had to get the knife out … had to bring Gamble down. 

He reached across with his right hand, and tentatively clutched the knife handle. It was slippery with his blood, but he took a tight grip on his, ignoring the shots of white hot pain this sent through his damaged hand. He took a deep breath, then ripped the knife out. 

He struggled to hold back a cry of pain as he knelt on the ground, trying to breathe. Air came in ragged gasps as he pushed himself back to his feet, cradling his injured hand. His hands and arms were slick with blood, as was the knife he still clutched in his right hand. He wiped his hands and arms on his shirt as he ran after Gamble. _When I catch that son of a bitch_ … he thought grimly … _I am going to make him wish he'd never been born. _

He slowed to a walk as he approached a corner, hearing footsteps receding from behind it. Carefully he walked around the corner, and saw Gamble a few metres away from him, walking next to the railway tracks. He closed the gap quickly, and knocked Brian to the ground. He rolled over and tried to get up, only to be met with a fist in the jaw from Street. 

Jim threw himself down on top of Gamble, punching him, the knife safely holstered in his belt. He would keep that for later. He landed four blows before Gamble seized his injured left hand and twisted it mercilessly. Street – distracted – lashed out at Gamble's arm, and Gamble struck him hard in the stomach, following it up with a blow to the jaw that left Jim reeling. 

All hell broke loose. Gamble grabbed Street around his throat and twisted his neck viciously. Street grabbed the knife in his belt and stabbed it into Gamble's arm. Gamble let go with a cry, and – running on adrenaline – wrenched the knife out of his arm with a yell of pai nand frustration. Street struck him across the face, sending him flying and making him release the knife. It clattered away to the side. 

Jim gave his former friend no time to recover, hitting him again in the ribs. Gamble fell back, and this time made no effort to rise. Jim stood over him, panting. "You had enough, _partner_?" 

Gamble narrowed his eyes as he looked up at Street. "You know, _friend_, I don't think I have." In a quick move, he knocked Street's feet out from under him, bringing him to the ground beside him. Street – temporarily stunned – lay still, until Gamble hit him solidly in the face. Jim scrambled backwards and got to his feet, kicking Gamble as he too tried to rise. 

Gamble leapt to his feet and knocked Street away. Jim reached for his holster and whirled around, his gun pointing at Gamble … to find himself staring down the barrel of Gamble's gun. 

"Well, well, Jimmy-boy," Gamble said at last. "I believe we have a standoff." 

******************************

Author's Note: I know – pathetically short again! Sorry … I'm about to start writing chapter 8, so that should be up in a few days … hope this chapter satisfies :-) 


	8. Can Never Be Again?

Author's Note: Welcome back for Chapter 9! Personally, I'm not happy with this chapter … but I'm going to post it anyway. The basic sequence of events is OK, but the writing is not.

Ths reason for both the lateness of the posting, and the style/mood of this chapter, is that real life has been rather – harrowing recently. So if this chapter seems a little dark or different in style/tone to the others, please attribute it to that.

Katie: No worries :-) Good to have you back …

IceDragon3: Ah, well some of that will be revealed in this chappie … but I've left some to the next chapter! Can't tell all my secrets at once :-)

Kagii: :-) Sure!

Wolfmaid: is embarassed Thankyou

Flame Guardian: I watched the scene in the movie before I wrote it … I wanted to get an idea of what they actually did, because I could not remember at all! Thanks for reviewing! :-)

Chapter 9: To The End

Street glanced up at the helicopter again, noticing that it was lowering its altitude, and that there was a man leaning out the side.

He glanced down to where Gamble had been kneeling … and froze momentarily in horror. Gamble had just grasped the knife in his hand.

Gamble began to turn, fire in his eyes, even as Street moved to take him down. He knew – instinctively – that he was gone. Gamble had the knife, he was moving, he was coming, it was over …

Street felt a brief moment of sadness. _Why like this? _

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and Gamble fell. Street whirled around again, searching for the origin of the shot. His eye fell on the figure leaning out of the helicopter … and he knew. Brian Gamble had been seen threatening a police officer. Brian Gamble had been taken down.

He turned back to Brian, and saw the bullet hole in his chest, and the blood spreading. He fell to his knees, exhausted and emotional.

_It shouldn't have ended like this. _

**But he had a knife**, the more reasonable part of his mind told him. **He was going to kill you.**

_Doesn't matter. It shouldn't have ended like this. We were friends, damnit. _

Once. Once you were friends – he betrayed that when he left SWAT and then when he tried to break Montel out.

_I don't betray my friends! _

There it was – what the entire mess had come down to. Jim fell to his knees, exhausted and suddenly unable to carry his own weight.

He let out a sigh as he looked at Gamble's body. For better or worse, it was over.

Hondo stared around the bridge, now covered with police vehicles, ambulances, and fire trucks … but no sign of Jim Street. He sighed, then glanced over at the police officers forcing Alex Montel into the back of a police car. _At least that scum will end up where he belongs … _

He glanced up again – and there he was: Jim Street, alive, walking towards him. He was bloodied and bruised, and looked exhausted, but he was alive. Hondo allowed a smile to make its way across his face, as Street came to a halt in front of him.

"Tell them – tell them they're going to need another body bag down there," Street told him dully.

Hondo nodded. "What happened?"

"Sniper in the helicopter took him down," Jim told him tonelessly. He swayed a little on his feet.

"Time for you to go to hospital, I think," Hondo decided, leading him over to an ambulance.

"Chris? Boxer?"

"They're both critical … Chris may have to have her arm amputated. She was damn lucky as it was to still have an arm after the explosion." Hondo shook his head. "She must have just got out in time."

People were rushing around the bridge – securing what remained of the plane, checking the two former hostages for injuries, checking for structural damage to the bridge … and of course checking the SWAT officers over.

Hondo walked away from Street as the ambulance took him away. It had taken the regular police forces long enough to realise their blunder – even after Hondo and the team had alerted them to the plane landing – and by the time they had got there, Deke had brought down Montel, TJ had suicided, and Street had climbed down the side of the bridge after Gamble. The helicopter had immediately been ordered to look for Street and Gamble – and they had been given the green light on Gamble – _shoot to kill. _

Gamble had never had a chance at a trial.

Hondo couldn't say he was particulary upset about this either – the man had after all put three of Hondo's officers in hospital, resulted in the deaths of several policemen, and nearly split Hondo's squad in two after TJ's betrayal.

But damn, it was going to be hard to come back from this. Street, Sanchez, and Boxer, all in hospital – two of them likely to be in for at least a month, and most likely more than two. One officer dead. Of the initial squad of six, only two – Hondo and Deke – remained operational. And there was still the matter of the transportation of Alex Montel to consider … the rat who had started the whole mess. Hondo couldn't wait to get that animal behind bars and throw away the key.

But they would come through the experience – something told Hondo this. They would come through stronger than ever – and may the Lord help anyone who attempted anything that required the intervention of Hondo's team … because it was certain that no one else would!

Author's Note: Only two chapters to go, I believe :-) I'll try to be a little quicker with the next update I promise!


	9. To The End

Author's Note: Welcome back for Chapter 9! Personally, I'm not happy with this chapter … but I'm going to post it anyway. The basic sequence of events is OK, but the writing is not.

Ths reason for both the lateness of the posting, and the style/mood of this chapter, is that real life has been rather – harrowing recently. My friend has unfortunately suffered a relapse – she has fortunately gotten better over the last day though. So if this chapter seems a little dark or different in style/tone to the others, please attribute it to that.

Katie: No worries :-) Good to have you back …

IceDragon3: Ah, well some of that will be revealed in this chappie … but I've left some to the next chapter! Can't tell all my secrets at once :-)

Kagii: :-) Sure!

Wolfmaid: is embarassed Thankyou

Flame Guardian: I watched the scene in the movie before I wrote it … I wanted to get an idea of what they actually did, because I could not remember at all! Thanks for reviewing! :-)

Chapter 9: To The End

Street glanced up at the helicopter again, noticing that it was lowering its altitude, and that there was a man leaning out the side.

He glanced down to where Gamble had been kneeling … and froze momentarily in horror. Gamble had just grasped the knife in his hand.

Gamble began to turn, fire in his eyes, even as Street moved to take him down. He knew – instinctively – that he was gone. Gamble had the knife, he was moving, he was coming, it was over …

Street felt a brief moment of sadness. _Why like this? _

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and Gamble fell. Street whirled around again, searching for the origin of the shot. His eye fell on the figure leaning out of the helicopter … and he knew. Brian Gamble had been seen threatening a police officer. Brian Gamble had been taken down.

He turned back to Brian, and saw the bullet hole in his chest, and the blood spreading. He fell to his knees, exhausted and emotional.

_It shouldn't have ended like this. _

**But he had a knife**, the more reasonable part of his mind told him. **He was going to kill you.**

_Doesn't matter. It shouldn't have ended like this. We were friends, damnit. _

Once. Once you were friends – he betrayed that when he left SWAT and then when he tried to break Montel out.

_I don't betray my friends! _

There it was – what the entire mess had come down to. Jim fell to his knees, exhausted and suddenly unable to carry his own weight.

He let out a sigh as he looked at Gamble's body. For better or worse, it was over.

Hondo stared around the bridge, now covered with police vehicles, ambulances, and fire trucks … but no sign of Jim Street. He sighed, then glanced over at the police officers forcing Alex Montel into the back of a police car. _At least that scum will end up where he belongs … _

He glanced up again – and there he was: Jim Street, alive, walking towards him. He was bloodied and bruised, and looked exhausted, but he was alive. Hondo allowed a smile to make its way across his face, as Street came to a halt in front of him.

"Tell them – tell them they're going to need another body bag down there," Street told him dully.

Hondo nodded. "What happened?"

"Sniper in the helicopter took him down," Jim told him tonelessly. He swayed a little on his feet.

"Time for you to go to hospital, I think," Hondo decided, leading him over to an ambulance.

"Chris? Boxer?"

"They're both critical … Chris may have to have her arm amputated. She was damn lucky as it was to still have an arm after the explosion." Hondo shook his head. "She must have just got out in time."

People were rushing around the bridge – securing what remained of the plane, checking the two former hostages for injuries, checking for structural damage to the bridge … and of course checking the SWAT officers over.

Hondo walked away from Street as the ambulance took him away. It had taken the regular police forces long enough to realise their blunder – even after Hondo and the team had alerted them to the plane landing – and by the time they had got there, Deke had brought down Montel, TJ had suicided, and Street had climbed down the side of the bridge after Gamble. The helicopter had immediately been ordered to look for Street and Gamble – and they had been given the green light on Gamble – _shoot to kill. _

Gamble had never had a chance at a trial.

Hondo couldn't say he was particulary upset about this either – the man had after all put three of Hondo's officers in hospital, resulted in the deaths of several policemen, and nearly split Hondo's squad in two after TJ's betrayal.

But damn, it was going to be hard to come back from this. Street, Sanchez, and Boxer, all in hospital – two of them likely to be in for at least a month, and most likely more than two. One officer dead. Of the initial squad of six, only two – Hondo and Deke – remained operational. And there was still the matter of the transportation of Alex Montel to consider … the rat who had started the whole mess. Hondo couldn't wait to get that animal behind bars and throw away the key.

But they would come through the experience – something told Hondo this. They would come through stronger than ever – and may the Lord help anyone who attempted anything that required the intervention of Hondo's team … because it was certain that no one else would!

Author's Note: Only two chapters to go, I believe :-) I'll try to be a little quicker with the next update I promise!


	10. All I Need

Author's Note: This is the final chapter, and serves as an epilogue as well. I've added in several bits to agree with what I've written previously … hope you guys like it!

Sorry for killing Gamble to anyone who didn't like it … but I couldn't think of anything else at the time!! I'm working on an alternate chapter … ;-)

No time for individual shoutouts … sorry!! But I really do thank everyone who reviewed from the bottom of my heart; it meant (and still means) a lot.

Chapter 10: All I Need

_Pain. _

_Damn why do I hurt so much? _

Jim tried to wake up, tried to fight the drugs running through his system. He forced his eyes open, and surveyed the room he found himself in, stifling a groan as he moved his battered ribcage. He felt dizzy and disoriented.

_I'm in a hospital. Oh boy. When did I arrive here? _

"Ah, look who's up," exclaimed a voice from the doorway. Street looked over quickly and immediately regretted it; grimacing.

_Damnit, is there any part of my body that _isn't_ connected to my ribcage? _

Hondo walked into his – rather narrow – line of vision. He smiled at Street's look of confusion. "I expect you're a bit confused, huh? Doctors said this might happen."

Street frowned as his memories began returning. "Did we get Gamble?"

Hondo nodded.

"Good. Son of a bitch. How long will I be in here?"

"Depends on whether you behave or not. That hand of yours has a pretty nasty stab wound, but apart from that, it's mostly just bruising. You'll probably be let out tomorrow – they want to keep you in tonight under observation."

"And Sanchez?"

"Going to be fine. She can thank her lucky stars that the specialist happened to be at the hospital when she arrived – he's taken care of her arm, and she'll keep it."

Street released the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. "That's good," he managed to croak out.

"I'll say. She's pretty happy too," Hondo commented.

"You trying for the Understatement of the Year Award or something?" Street asked sarcastically. Hondo winked at him.

"I wouldn't say no."

Street grinned, but it faded quickly. "Boxer?"

Hondo frowned. "In intensive care, but he's out of danger. Given a few weeks, he'll be back around annoying the living hell outta everyone in sight."

Street nodded. "OK. What about Deke? You?"

"Both fine."

"And Montel?"

"Full of questions, aren't you? He's still in custody – we'll be transferring him in a few days. You'll be there to help us."

Street nodded, a grin spreading over his features. "Reckon I owe him one."

"Reckon you owe him a damn sight more than one." Hondo turned to leave. "I'll let you get your beauty sleep – you need it, you know. But just one thing – try to leave enough of him for the rest of us, won't you?"

Street shrugged. "I'll see what I can manage." He smiled grimly.

"Sweet dreams," Hondo remarked as he walked out. Street's only reply was a one fingered gesture. Hondo laughed.

"Hondo!"

"What?"

"Is Chris awake?"

"She was half an hour ago …"

"Can I see her?"

Hondo smiled to himself. "You'll have to ask the doctor. And don't pull the 'innocent' act on me."

Street shrugged. "Sure. Guess I'll wait and ask the doctor. Give her my best, will you?" He looked slightly plaintive, but made out that he was trying to hide it.

Hondo nodded. "Sure."

Five minutes later, a grumbling Hondo wheeled the smug-looking Street down the hallway towards Chris's room. "Thought you said you weren't gonna fall for the 'innocent' act?" Street said.

"Shut up or I leave you here."

"Jim!" Chris exclaimed as he was wheeled through the door. "What …"

"Hey Chris. Heard you ran into a few explosives?"

"Always like to keep things interesting," she replied, a hint of a smile on her face. "So … did the 'Surgeon' here give permission for you to see me? I thought visiting hours were over."

"Well – when you know the right people …" He grinned. Chris reached out to touch his shoulder and accidentally hit his chest. He tried to hold back the hiss of pain, but it escaped nonetheless.

"What's this?"

"Just bruising, I swear," Jim said. Chris stared suspiciously at him.

"You wouldn't be holding out on me, would you?"

"No! It's just bruising!"

Hondo grinned as he stood outside the room watching his officers. They only really relaxed around each other, and, he thought, _even blind Freddie could tell they're a couple._ He watched – amused – as Jim Street, who had been stabbed, bashed, and nearly blown to pieces, but had refused to feel fear, was harassed and bullied until he pleaded, by this unique officer.

"All right, Chris, I am hurt, but please … no! … no it doesn't hurt that much, you don't need to …"

Chris was busily trying to find out the extent of Jim's injuries by poking him viciously all over his body, while her 'patient' tried to escape in his wheelchair – unaware that Hondo had conviently locked the brakes on.

Hondo laughed. Life was good.

The hot Sun beat down on them as they stood outside the jail. Street held Montel firmly by the collar with his good hand, and resisted the urge to punch the weasel's face in. Hondo stood a few metres in front of them, while Deke stood next to Montel on the other side of their prisoner.

Street grinned as the prisoner transfer was completed, and he couldn't resist the urge to make one last smart-ass comment to Montel as the man was escorted away by the prison guard.

He walked back to the jeep slowly. "So where now?" Deke asked as Hondo drove them away.

"Dunno about you boys, but I'm thinking that home is sounding mighty good right about now," Hondo drawled. Street grinned.

"Yeah … I'm thinking that too."

Deke nodded. "Yup."

"All units, we have a 2-11 in progress at the Diamond Mart. Shots have been fired."

Jim reached for his equipment having heard the annoucement over the radio. Hondo made no move to follow him. "Technically our watch has been over for hours."

"So?" Jim responded.

Hondo sighed. "Yup. What the hell … Mount up!"

Author's Note: This is it! The end! Da da!!

Well, I'm very happy … I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Hopefully I will have a sequel out in the next few weeks … I'm working on it!

Thanks for reading!! Very best wishes to you all. Thanks again for all your comments, support, and advice.

:-)


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